I’ve made it to 41. So far, I’m still in tact. A few more wrinkles than 31, but a lot more memories. Plenty of good laughs, travel, time with friends, watching my children grow like weeds, and the expected doses of drama here and there.
At book club last night, we were talking about the unpredictable state of life these days. The truth is, the fragility of life has always been there, but you notice it a bit more with each passing year. A husband who loses his job after decades of loyalty, a loved one battling addiction, or even worse, a terminal medical diagnosis. My husband’s friend Jen Goodman Linn celebrated 40 with gusto, shortly before losing her valiant battle with cancer. She truly made me re-think the gift of getting old. I posted the article her husband published on Huffington Post along with her awesome dance video on Facebook awhile back, but it’s so worth a watch if you haven’t yet seen it:
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In lieu of dancing (it’s just not my thing!), here are 41 things to celebrate:
*Watching the sun rise with a fresh mug of coffee
*A great book that stays with you forever
*A fun evening out in your best pair of jeans
*When your dog smiles at you (really, he does!)
*Being stuck home with your family in a blizzard
*Body surfing at the beach
*The smell of clean laundry
*Watching the first bulbs bloom in Spring
*Fresh baked apple pie
*A powder day on the slopes
*An extra-newsy People Magazine
*Hearing a joke that makes you laugh so hard you cry
*A summer afternoon on a golf course with friends
*Homemade hot fudge sauce
*The Boston POPS playing during the fireworks on the 4th of July
*Shooting stars in the Maine evening sky
*Waving to your kids as they ride by on a carousel
*Delicious leftovers
*A fabulous yoga class
*Reminiscing with your parents
*Walking on the D-Day beaches
*Re-reading baby journals aloud
*Teaching your kids to read
*A terrific movie
*The sound of loons at dusk on a lake
*The way your kids smile at you when they get off the school bus
*Spring Cleaning
*Singing SILENT NIGHT on Christmas Eve by candlelight
*Looking through old photo albums
*A long walk with an old friend
*Changing into yoga pants when you get home
*Watching your kids jump in piles of leaves
*Refinishing an old piece of furniture
*A hot bath on a cold night
*A really good massage
*Looking through old photo albums
*A dinner party with a few great couples
*Reconnecting with an old teacher
*Watching your kids swim in a pool at dusk in July
*Taking a run with a new playlist on your iPod
*Landing at Logan after a long trip away
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
-Oprah Winfrey
